Watching Her
by TheSeamGirl
Summary: Finnick and Annie drabbles. Finnick has always watched Annie. Starting with her Games, then skipping around. Different points in her life.  heehee  T for death and paranoia. AN is in second chapter!
1. Watching Her Games

"Swim, Annie, swim." I whispered, repeating those three words over and over again. My usual armies of sponsors had left my table, seeing as the boy, Ozark, had been beheaded, and Annie…was not right. Luckily, one of the Gamemaker's dams had burst, flooding the entire arena. She had a chance…we had a chance. Even in her deteriorated mental state, Annie Stella Cresta was the best swimmer in district four, and probably the best in the Games as well.

I watched as the boy from two drowned and the girl from nine was attacked by Lorran, the girl from one. Annie and Lorran had been close in the Career pack before it was disbanded, earlier than usual in the games. _Boom. Boom. _The boy from two, the girl from nine. Three tributes were left. Lorran, a tall, thin boy from three, who had stayed up in a tall tree so far in the Games, and Annie. The boy from three disappeared under water for a few seconds, just as Lorran was about to charge him. I saw the look of confusion and hope on her face. Had he drowned?

No. The camera followed him under water while he took a knife and stabbed it into her stomach. Years of watching the Games and taking part in them had desensitized me to blood and gore, but as the knife punctured her tan, muscled skin, I knew that I could never enjoy this. Not like the Capitol does, or some of the victors here.

I saw the confusion register in her eyes. She had maybe twenty seconds left. She did not watch the wound, or say a last goodbye. She pulled the bloody knife out-shortening her life by a few seconds, and stabbed the boy from three in the heart. _Boom. _He died instantly. (Though I'm sure it wasn't instant to him, or his family.) Lorran's last few seconds on earth were spent looking at Annie and smiling at her. _Boom. _

The winner of the 66th Hunger Games, Annie Cresta.


	2. Watching Her Struggle

**Hey! I forgot to do an AN for the last chapter but these are kind of Finnick/Annie drabbles about Finnick watching Annie during different points in her life. I don't think they're very good-I mean, I wrote the first chapter at one o'clock this morning. But they are short, and I hope sweet. Thanks!  
~Manda :)**

I should be happy. I am really. Annie and I have a future now. But sometimes, even the victors die in the Hunger Games. Annie might have lost herself in the arena, and the though makes me shudder. I'm brought back to my senses by the sound of applause. The post-Games tradition. Applause all around for the winning mentors and escorts, it doesn't matter if their tribute killed, tortured, or maimed yours, they managed to get a kid out of there. And the other twenty somethings of you didn't. At least not this year.

I take a bow. I'm Finnick Odair. I have a show to put on. I have women to kiss, I have interviewers to amaze, and I have a job to do. But I also have Annie to see. "Excuse me, ladies," I say, winking at a group of rainbow haired feathery females. A few of them faint. Three of them cry. One of them rolls her eyes but I see them popping back in to place to gaze at my every move. For some men, this might be a dream come true. For me though, it's the nightmare I live every day. I make my way through throngs of screaming young women to the hospital they take the victors to every year. They usually give them a full body polish, add curves and weight to help them not look like they were starving twenty hours ago, and straighten them out before they go to meet their prep team.

As soon as I reach the fourth floor, a young man in black scrubs taps me on the shoulder. I turn around, thinking it's another fan. He must see the annoyed look on my face, because he points to a room up the hall. I smile and nod at him and he scurries off. People to beautify, I guess. As soon as he clears the hallway, I rush up to the room he pointed to. Inside is Annie, beautiful Annie. Her long brown hair may be messed up and her blue-green eyes might be blank, but she is my Annie, the one I promised to protect forever when we were younger. She is the one I promised to come home from the Games for. She is my life.

Her eyes close briefly, and when she opens them, she gazes at me. I hope and pray for recognition, that she will know who I am. "Fin." she starts, trying to form my name. "Fin, where Ozark? Mean boy take ax and do bad things! Got to save Ozark!" She struggles, trying to get out of bed. I am thankful for the restraining band that keeps her in place, even though it feels terrible to say that. She bursts into tears, and I know my Annie is gone.

I watch her struggle.


	3. Watching Her, My Friend

**Sorry for the long wait, guys. I was on vacation. Okay, here's drabble three. It's about Finnick and Annie's first meeting. He's eight, she's seven. :) Enjoy!**

There's a girl in my swimming hole. A girl! How did she find it? It's hidden and close to the docks, an area usually avoided for its smell. As she pops up for air-she was under quite a long time-I start to confront her.

"What are you doing here? This is my spot. No one else is allowed here." I say with a tone of bossiness in my voice. She turns around and stares at me with big green eyes.

"I wasn't aware that this spot was reserved. I'm Annabel Cresta, but everyone calls me Annie." The girl-Annie-closes her eyes and lets her brown hair drift behind her as she floats. "I'm seven years old and when I turn sixteen I'm going to win the Hunger Games. My mom won the Games and she says that she wants me to win too. She's Estella Hart." I've seen her around the square before in the candy shop. My family can barely afford treats, but I usually save up my pocket money for some peppermints. "What's your name?" She hops up on the boardwalk where I am standing.

"Finnick." I say. I still can't believe someone-and a girl, nonetheless- has found my swimming hole. "Finnick Odair. I'm eight." She's wearing a nondescript black one piece, the same one my sister has. It's issued to all girls when they turn four. Boys receive black swimming trunks. We are encouraged to learn to swim at a young age, because most of us go on our first fishing expedition when we are fourteen.

"Finnick. That's a weird name. Well, Finn, are you going to jump in or not?" She dives in the ocean with one fluid motion. "Or are you chicken?"

"I am not chicken!" I say indignantly. "I bet I'm a better swimmer than you. I'm older. And I'm a boy."

"Prove it." She laughs and swims gracefully away from the dock. I peel my white shirt off and jump in. I catch up to her quickly and tread water.

"Come on, Annie, let's go back to the dock, my skin's getting pruney." She sticks her tongue out at me and splashes me.

"Finn! We've barely met! I want to get to know you!"

"Can't we do that at the dock?" She rolls her eyes at me and shakes her head, telling me we have to stay here treading water. "Fine. So, Annie, what's life like having your mom as a Victor?"

We stay in the water until it is completely dark, just talking about our family, school, cranky adults, and the Games. She wants to be a victor mostly to prove to her mother that she was strong too. I tell her that I could care less for the Games, which is true. I don't necessarily hate them. They are interesting as long as you don't know the tributes. But it's just kind of cruel, making kids kill each other. When we finally leave, she asks me to walk her home. "You're afraid of the dark?" I laugh.

"I'm not afraid of the dark. I'm just afraid of what it holds."

I watch her walk up to her house and wave goodbye. I wave to her as well. When I finish the fifteen minute long walk to my house, my mother berates me for being late and asks me where I've been. "With a friend," I say.

I was with a friend.


End file.
